Articulated sensor heads provide for varying the orientation of sensors, particularly probes, for accessing features in different forms and orientations on workpieces or other test objects. While coordinate measuring machines typically include multiple axes for relatively moving a probe or other form of sensor with respect to a test object under measurement, articulated sensor heads generally provide one or more rotational axes that can quickly and efficiently adjust the orientation of probes or other sensor types for accommodating different features and their orientations on test objects.
Differently configured probes and other sensors having different sizes, sensitivities, or types of data acquisition are often needed to more precisely or comprehensively measure test objects with different types and arrangements of surfaces. As such, articulated sensor heads are often adapted to use interchangeable probes or other sensors. In addition to the possibility for manually exchanging probes or other sensors, automated exchange systems store the alternative probes or other sensors in docking stations and the sensor heads can be moved out of their measuring positions to and from the docking stations to exchange probes or sensors when needed. However, even the automated exchange systems consume valuable measurement time not only through the mechanical acts required to exchange the probes or other sensors but also in one or more of repositioning, reorienting, and recalibrating the replacement probes or other sensors for continuing measurement operations within a common frame of reference. Issues of time consumption and measurement continuity are particularly problematic during exchanges of different sensor types.